In the prior art, diagnostic pressure measurement in familiar, particular in urodynamics. Pressure measurement with water-filled disposable catheters is the most widely used method in urodynamics, and due to its measuring quality and robustness is recommended as the golden standard by the ICT (International Continence Society=worldwide umbrella association for urodynamics).
In pressure measurement with water-filled catheters the pressure in the body is directed via a water column, which passes through the lumen of the catheter and the pressure transmission tubes, to external pressure sensors. There, the pressure in the body, including a hydrostatic pressure resulting from the difference in height between the measurement indicator and measurement site, is measured. This pressure offset is compensated either through defined positioning of the sensors (at the pubic bone in urodynamics) or through electronic zeroing.
Today, a urodynamic examination requires a considerable amount of preparation and a large number of sterile disposable articles are required. A pump tube, a perfusion tube, three measurement indicators each with a three-way and a two-way valve, three pressure transmission hoses, a transurethral catheter with a filling and two measuring volume and a rectal catheter with a balloon, which all have to be assembled and prepared on site (FIG. 1).
The strengths of this method known in the prior art include the absolutely superior measuring quality through outstanding impulse response times, high zeroing stability, low temperature drift and low hysteresis. The system-related, automatic compensation of the pressure offset on displacement of the measuring volume in the bladder is also important. In addition, the change in hydrostatic pressure in the bladder can inherently be balanced out through the coupled height of the water column of the pressure transmission tubes to the pressure measurement indicators.
Disadvantageous, however, is the very complicated, error-prone and time-consuming handling involved. Each of the various individual steps has to be carried out in the presence of, in most cases, restless to nervous patients, which even in the case of experienced users often leads to errors and a large number of disposable articles are needed, which frequently leads to logistical problems.